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District 3 Senate candidates get final word

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006

District 3 Senate candidates Sen. Alex X. Mooney (R) and Democratic challenger Candy Greenway have led a relatively quiet campaign compared to the hard-fought race of 2002 between Mooney and Sue Hecht.

Greenway, a member of the Democratic Central Committee, has tried to get her message out by stumping at just about every debate, luncheon and forum she has been invited to, while the Mooney machine has used its considerable muscle in aggressively drumming up money and votes by direct mail.

Mooney is seeking his third term, and beat out Republican challengers Hugh Warner and Timothy Brooks in the primary election, winning 64 percent of the party vote. Greenway ran unopposed in the primary after challenger George Wenschoff threw in the towel early in the campaign.

In the last campaign finance reports, issued Sept. 1, Mooney had a balance of $159,000 in his campaign coffers, while latecomer Greenway, who filed to run on the last possible day, had a balance of $10,000.

On his end, Mooney hears his constituents’ main concerns as roads, schools and taxes.

‘‘I also hear people asking about the war in Iraq. Because I am a Republican, they say, ‘What is the deal with that?’,” Mooney said. ‘‘But I do Maryland issues. I don’t vote on foreign policy.”

Greenway is getting questions about health care, one of her main campaign issues, she said.

‘‘We should have more competition in the state. We can shop anywhere in the country to get health insurance targeted to various groups instead of one size fits all,” Greenway said.

Education, energy costs and transportation also figure largely in her platform.

District 3 includes the City of Frederick and everything below it to the Montgomery County border, as well as a small piece of Washington County and Mount Airy.

District 3 Senate candidates Sen. Alex X. Mooney (R) and Democratic challenger Candy Greenway have led a relatively quiet campaign compared to the hard-fought race of 2002 between Mooney and Sue Hecht.

Greenway, a member of the Democratic Central Committee, has tried to get her message out by stumping at just about every debate, luncheon and forum she has been invited to, while the Mooney machine has used its considerable muscle in aggressively drumming up money and votes by direct mail.

Mooney is seeking his third term, and beat out Republican challengers Hugh Warner and Timothy Brooks in the primary election, winning 64 percent of the party vote. Greenway ran unopposed in the primary after challenger George Wenschoff threw in the towel early in the campaign.

In the last campaign finance reports, issued Sept. 1, Mooney had a balance of $159,000 in his campaign coffers, while latecomer Greenway, who filed to run on the last possible day, had a balance of $10,000.

On his end, Mooney hears his constituents’ main concerns as roads, schools and taxes.

‘‘I also hear people asking about the war in Iraq. Because I am a Republican, they say, ‘What is the deal with that?’,” Mooney said. ‘‘But I do Maryland issues. I don’t vote on foreign policy.”

Greenway is getting questions about health care, one of her main campaign issues, she said.

‘‘We should have more competition in the state. We can shop anywhere in the country to get health insurance targeted to various groups instead of one size fits all,” Greenway said.

Education, energy costs and transportation also figure largely in her platform.

District 3 includes the City of Frederick and everything below it to the Montgomery County border, as well as a small piece of Washington County and Mount Airy.

Greenway’s questions to Mooney

Q We greatly appreciate the natural beauty of District 3, and all want to preserve that beauty. Yet you voted against the Healthy Air Act, which cracked down on big corporate polluters. I would ask whom you feel you were representing with that vote?

Mooney: I have supported legislation to make our air cleaner. In 2002, I introduced legislation to prohibit any more power plants from being built until Maryland comes into to compliance the Environmental Protection’s Agency’s ozone air quality standards. I took this initiative at the time when Duke Energy was looking to build a power plant in Southern Frederick County. The bill to which Mrs. Greenway refers, however, added more government regulations at [a] time when East Alcoa was struggling financially to stay in Frederick County. When this bill was being debated East Alcoa was threatening to lay off workers and shut down their plant because of rising energy prices and the cost of complying with government regulations in Maryland. My vote was to save hundreds of good paying jobs in this county.

Q In 2005, the governor signed the Land Preservation Act, which made it more difficult for developers to purchase land (mostly open space) from the state. You voted against it. During a time of uncontrolled growth that is stressing Frederick County’s infrastructure, why would you want to make it easier for developers to purchase more of the open space that makes our district so great?

Mooney: I have always been an advocate for preserving our beautiful farmland and open space in Frederick County. I worked with Gov. [Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R)] to preserve 3,000 acres of Frederick County landscape and preserve 50,000 acres statewide. I will, however, vote against partisan bills like the Land Preservation Act that unnecessarily take away powers from our elected governor. This bill would have required General Assembly approval before the governor could sell state-owned land. This bill was partisan politics because the Democrat-controlled General Assembly only changed the law after a Republican was elected governor.

Q Many Frederick families are living paycheck to paycheck, just getting by. Meanwhile, you voted against a modest increase in the minimum wage to $6.15 an hour, and also sided with huge corporations, like Wal-Mart, who think it’s OK to deny health care coverage to their employees, despite record profits. Is this because many of the large corporations and special interests have funded your campaigns, both now and in the past?

Mooney: Candy Greenway is joining liberal anti-business Democrats in Annapolis who passed the now famous Wal-Mart bill. This bill punished one company, Wal-Mart, with higher taxes because they refused to unionize. Anti-business liberals and union bosses crafted this bill and rammed it through the General Assembly almost totally along party lines. This bill was one of the worst pieces of anti-business legislation I have seen in my eight years in office. I was proud to stand with Gov. Ehrlich in opposition to this bill. Our opposition was vindicated when the State Court of Appeals struck this bill down because it unfairly targeted one company. I will continue to vote against legislation that hurts our economy and jobs in Maryland. My pro-business record has won me the support of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, Maryland Chamber of Commerce and of the Frederick County Association of Realtors.

Q Frederick County schools are overcrowded, understaffed and being pushed to their limits. Yet, year after year, you find a way to push for money to be taken out of our public school system and put into private academies, most of which are not even located in this part of the state. Is it because you think District 3 public schools are more than adequately funded?

Mooney: As a graduate of Frederick High School, I am proud of my record of working with Gov. Ehrlich to provide record funding for education. We worked to increase school funding in Frederick County by a record 49 percent, totaling $187 million, and we invested more than $4,800 in every student this year. I also worked with Gov. Ehrlich to produce a $124 million increase in school funding, the largest increase in more than 30 years.

Q While everyone from Gov. Ehrlich to [Lt. Gov.] Michael Steele returned the tainted money linked to convicted felon lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients, you chose to keep it, claiming ‘‘What does it matter where the money comes from? What matters is how you vote.” Yet, you’ve attacked me already for being beholden to the Democratic Party and [Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Dist. 27)], when I haven’t received a dime from them. So, which is it? Do these contributions matter, or do they only matter when it’s convenient for you?

Mooney: Mr. Abramoff made one donation [to me] four years ago, in 2002, during my re-election campaign against Sue Hecht. His donation was one of the over 20,000 donations made to my campaign over the last eight years. I do not know Mr. Abramoff, and he does not lobby in Maryland. The money he donated was spent during my hard fought 2002 campaign. Therefore, I did not have his donation to return four years later. I could have given donations from current supporters to Mr. Abramoff, but I did not think that would be the right thing to do. While Candy Greenway has chosen to personally attack me, she refuses to say who paid for the dirty smear poll that was used against me last week on her behalf. Mrs. Greenway wants to have it both ways, she wants to personally attack me without having to answer legitimate questions about her own ‘‘Mike Miller”-style campaign tactics.

Mooney’s questions to Greenway:

QYou have publicly stated that you are open to raising taxes. Why did you refuse to join me in pledging not to raise taxes and sign the Maryland Taxpayers Association Pledge?

Greenway: I have never publicly stated that I am open to raising taxes. Let me be clear, so as not to be misunderstood or misrepresented: Protecting middle-class families in District 3 from tax increases will be on top of my list of priorities. This, I pledge: When I go to Annapolis, I will look at every issue at face value, and I will do what’s best for District 3, whether an idea comes from Democrats or Republicans. Signing a one-size-fits-all pledge from any interest group puts their agenda ahead of the needs of our citizens.

Q You have publicly stated that you are for universal healthcare. Everywhere in the world where government-run healthcare has been tried, it is has been a disaster and cost taxpayers a lot of money. What taxes do you plan to raise to pay for this new massive government entity?

Greenway: I’m glad I have an opportunity to address this question. All I have said is that in the United States of America in 2006, it is reprehensible that so many must go without health insurance for themselves and their families. Our health care system is in crisis, and a new approach is needed. I think there are a variety of lessons we can learn from other states where creative programs have been implemented to help those who fall through the large cracks in our current system, without raising taxes on middle class families and small businesses.

Q The Frederick County commissioners have repeatedly supported legislation that creates a new 1 percent transfer tax on the sale of homes. Do you support this new tax?

Greenway: The commissioners represent the will of our citizens. If they support this tax, and the people they represent are unhappy, the people have a chance to speak out against it or vote them out of office. We have 25 schools that have never been renovated or modernized since they were built. The commissioners are attempting to find a revenue stream for funding this critical community need. We have to consider any and all ideas to get this done, and I intend to do whatever it takes to get these projects under way!

Q You have publicly attacked me for voting against House Bill 1188, 2004. Why do you support legislation that creates a new 10 percent surcharge for corporate taxpayers and would cost businesses $44 million this year alone?

Greenway: House Bill 1188 was written to cap the tuition rates for state colleges and universities. Tuition rates have increased by over 40 percent in the last four years. The ability to attain a college education and compete in the job market is now a lost hope for many of our high school graduates. My priority remains with the working-class families of Maryland, as opposed to the large corporations that have many available methods for recuperating such costs.

Q Who do you think has been a better governor — Republican Bob Ehrlich or Democrat [Parris N. Glendening (1995-2003)]?

Greenway: I’m sure you have great doubts about the answer to this question yourself, Mr. Mooney. It goes without saying that you disagreed with everything Gov. Glendening did due to the fact that he is a member of the Democratic Party. District 3 citizens need a Senator who will judge ideas based on how they will be affected, not because they originated from a Democrat or a Republican. With regard to Gov. Ehrlich, you voted against him on stem cell research. You voted against the Land Preservation Act, which the governor signed to help save our state’s open space. You voted against the Healthy Air Act that the governor supported. It’s easy to see that you did not cast these votes in the interests of your constituents, but as a representative of a national extremist wing of the Republican Party. You have made clear through these votes, and many others, that your allegiances lie with partisan special interests, not with real, moderate Marylanders. Both of these governors faced different kinds of challenges while in office, and I think there have been times when Maryland has been well served by both. They did their best work when they put partisan politics aside and worked with both sides of the aisle to get things done for Maryland.